[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 20225]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   THE WORKERS OF THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA AND THE MINIMUM WAGE 
                                INCREASE

  (Mr. JEFFERSON asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. JEFFERSON. Madam Speaker, the workers of the greater New Orleans 
area, in large part, are hospitality industry workers. These 
hardworking men and women greet the world with wide smiles and warm 
embraces as they welcome millions of tourists and conference attendees 
to the metropolitan New Orleans area. These workers make sure that the 
hotel rooms, the restaurants, and other places of rest and recreation 
are clean, safe, and comfortable.
  But behind this public veneer lies another story, a story of the 
difficult lives of the working poor. These hardworking people never 
have a chance to take a vacation for themselves, or attend a 
conference, or benefit from the delights that they make it possible for 
their city and region to offer. Their wages never crack the poverty 
level. They are not unionized and have few, if any, job benefits.
  So I rise today to applaud the work of this Congress, this new 
majority, for taking a big step in the right direction by increasing 
the minimum wage. For the low-wage workers in my area, it means that 
the nightmare of the single longest stretch in our Nation's history 
without a minimum wage increase is ending. It means that many of the 
workers in our area will have a little more food on the table, a little 
more in the way of resources to house and care for their families, and 
a lot more dignity.
  For this, we thank this Congress.

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